How else would she break it? Abby ecplises Mia Hamm's goal-scoring record on a strong header

The chase is over.

United States' Abby Wambach kisses a soccer ball after scoring against South Korea during the first half of an international friendly soccer match at Red Bull Arena, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Harrison, N.J. With the goal, Wambach broke Mia Hamm's national goal-scoring record. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(Photo: Julio Cortez AP)

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The chase is over. Pittsford native and United States national team star Abby Wambach finally caught and then quickly passed Mia Hamm on Thursday night, scoring four goals in the first 29 minutes of an exhibition game against South Korea at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., to give her 160 international goals. Like two exclamation points, Wambach netted the tying goal and record-breaker with classic headers, her specialty. Wambach scored her 159th career goal, the record-breaker, on a strong, leaping header off a corner kick from Megan Rapinoe in the 29th minute, a famous comb

ination connecting once again. That came just 11 minutes after the record-tying goal, which was also an angled header from five yards off a cross from Lauren Cheney.

The entire U.S. team ran onto the field to congratulate and briefly celebrate with Wambach, who kissed the soccer ball, and tossed it to the sideline for safe-keeping. Then she turned toward her family, including her parents, Judy and Peter, and her siblings, gathered in suite. Her mother appeared to be crying on the telecast by NBC Sports Network. It was Wambach's seventh hat trick. But she wasn't done. In stoppage time of the first half, Wambach added her fourth goal of the night, running onto a pass along the goal line from Alex Morgan and burying it in the top of the net. "One great player breaking the record of another great player," U.S. coach Tom Sermanni said during an interview at halftime.

A few minutes after the record-breaker on Twitter, Hamm tweeted: "Congratulations @AbbyWambach! So proud of you, my friend. You a warrior and true champion. Enjoy it." Wambach's Western New York Flash teammates tweeted encouragement and congratulations throughout the first half. Wambach scored her first goal of the game, No. 157 for her career, in the 10th minute when Cheney fed her in the box. Wambach controlled, turned and fired a shot to the left of goalie Kim Jungmi. The 5-foot-11 forward from Our Lady of Mercy High School and reigning FIFA World Player of the Year reached Hamm's milestone in her 207th career game; Hamm needed 275 matches to score 158. The 33-year-old Wambach, whose pursuit of Hamm was dubbed "Chasing Mia" by the U.S. Soccer Federation, is playing her last international match for 2½ months, as the American squad will take a break to allow players to focus on their club team season in the new National Women's Soccer League. It was apparent that her U.S. teammates wanted her to get the record before that long break, as they fed her constantly over the game's first 30 minutes. In her first season with the Western New York Flash, Wambach leads her team and the league in goals with six. She and U.S. teammate Carli Lloyd will be back with the third-place Flash (5-2-3), who haven't lost in seven straight matches, for Sunday's 4:05 p.m. game at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester against the Seattle Reign (0-9-1), whose goalie is U.S. star Hope Solo. Wambach used to idolize Hamm, whose poster she had on her bedroom wall in her parents' cul-de-sac home in Pittsford. Wambach became a scoring sensation in high school, then as a college freshman helped lead the Florida Gators to the NCAA title. She made her U.S. national team debut in 2001, and 10 years later scored a dramatic goal in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinals that raised her personal popularity and helped reignite interest in women's soccer in America. Wambach's leaping header on the far post off Rapinoe's cross tied the match in the 120th minute, saving the United States. It would go on to finish as runner-up to Japan, but the Americans avenged that by winning last year's Olympics in London.

Wambach's biggest goal before 2011 was another leaping header in overtime that gave the U.S. Olympic gold in 2004 in Greece and sent stars such as Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett out into retirement as winners. She had talked in recent weeks about hoping to get the record so the chase would be over and she could focus on team goals. Mission accomplished.